In the past, modular link conveyors have typically been driven by a plurality of laterally spaced, gang driven sprockets located at the transition of the conveyor from the forward to the return run. Despite the longstanding success of this popular approach, it is not without limits. For one, the amount of power required to drive a particularly long conveyor from one end can be high, and its transfer in the course of operation can generate excessive wear and stress on the sprocket and links of the conveyor chain. The use of such end drives also creates discontinuous conveyors, and thus necessitates the frequent use of devices to transfer articles or objects from the trailing end of one conveyor to the leading end of another. In some cases, there is also no return run in the conventional manner, such as for spiral or helical conveyors common to the food and bookbinding industries, in which case an auxiliary drive (e.g., an internal drum, is used.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved drive arrangement for modular link conveyors. The drive arrangement should be readily adaptable to many different types of conveyors at minimal cost, and potentially applied in a retrofit situation without extensive effort. The drive arrangement would be adapted to drive a variety of conveyors, including those in which the conveyor chain is arranged to follow a helical or spiral path.